The DAV and its work with veterans

WASHINGTON, D.C. (SBG) — For the Capizzi family, service has always played a central role.

David and Shamala Capizzo are both veterans of the United States Marine Corps, and like more than 6 million other military veterans, are disabled and carrying scars many are unable to see.

"Disability comes in all different forms," said Shamala. "It’s cognitive, it’s mental, it’s physical."

While on active duty, she developed Graves Disease, an auto-immune disorder that resulted in bouts of depression, fatigue, and memory loss at age 25.

“I’m pretty open with my children about like sometimes I am a little too tired or I apologize that I’m a little more irritable so I'm a little bit more honest with them," said Shamala. "I don’t want them to feel like it’s them when it’s actually really me."

Shamala now works as a National Service Officer for the Disabled American Veterans, a non-profit organization that's been around for more than one hundred years, helping connect disabled veterans to jobs, financial services, and with navigating the VA healthcare system.

“The long term effect of that is that someone injured today on the battlefield will need 60-70 years of continuous care for their injuries," said Randy Reese, the Director of the DAV.

The care is often hard to come by as veterans are forced to wade through mounds of paperwork, often while dealing with illnesses not yet recognized or defined by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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"There’s a huge amount of bureaucracy and red tape in order to get those benefits," said Reese. "Covid really brought out some highlights that care is not equitably distributed throughout the nation."

“How does that change?”

“I think there’s it’s better today than it was in the past but there still a lot of work to do," added Reese.

It's work Shamala Capizzi recognizes needs to be tackled, one veteran at a time. She hopes that now, while the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended, the country remembers the injuries sustained there have not.

The DAV is a leading non-profit organization that every year helps more than one million people. It helps veterans of all generations get the healthcare, education and disability benefits they've earned. The organization is an advocate for veterans' rights.

Through our Sinclair Cares program, WPEC is working to support and raise awareness about the DAV and all it is doing for veterans in our communities. In the coming weeks we'll be sharing more stories and letting you know how to get involved.